Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-11-04
WHAT WAS ITe
An Internal Machine, Or the Work of an
Idiotic Joker?

| An Internal Machine, Or the Work of an
Idiotic Joker?
WASHINGTON, November 3d.-An attempt
was made tonight to either kill or MAIN
Chief Justice Waite, of the United States
Supreme Court, or to perpetrate a silly
hoax. About half-past small box was
sent to his house through the special deliv-
cry postal service. 1t was a paste-board
box, about ten inches by six, looking some
thing like valentine box, and was ad-
dressed in small, cramped and apparently
disguised back-hand to The Hon. Chief
Justice Waite, No. 1415 First n. w. Wash
lngton, ID. c. Near the bottom were the
words Important papers" underscored.
The thing inclosed was glass tube about
ten inches long and of the diameter of
lead pencil. The tube was bent at an angle
OF about sixty degrees, and was fastened to
the box by means of small piece of heavy
paper pasted over it. The tube, for the
most OF its length, contained a Jet black
lquld, but about one and half inches
from the end was percussion cap separat-
| ing the fluid from little more than
AN INCH OF COARSE POWDER,
Apparently what is known as ATLAS i"
powder. AT the other end of the powder
was another percussion cap, and this was
attached to wire, which was apparently
intended to explode the tube. TINS wire
was Joined to small rubber band fastened
to one side ofthe box, and another wire ran
from the rubber to "hook -and-eye," !"
which was held IN place by piece of pa
per pasted over it.
Ii the machine is really what it seems to
| be. the raising of the lid would have ex-
I minded II hofnra
tees house. However, the box was
stamped on one side by Postoffice en-
ploye, and the force with which the blow
was struck in stamping caused the wire to
slip through the hook -and-eye,n thus
severiDg the necessary connections.
POSSIBLY HOAX.
There are circumstances which lead to
the suspicion that the whole thing is
hoax. The person through whom the
matter was brought to the attention of the
police is a young man who sells items to
newspaper correspondents, and who is not
by any means regarded as trustworthy. His
name is withheld at the request of the DO
lice, to whom he told substantially
THE FOLLOWING STORY:
About o'clock he went to the postoffice
to mail a letter, and going to one of the
desks to address it he noticed a man put
ting the address of Chief Justice Waite on
box. He says ne thought nothing of
it at the time, and therefore did not
observe the man closely enough to be
able to identify him. When on the
street, however, the thought came
to him that there was something
suspicious about it, inasmuch as the Cbief
Justice had on Wednesday delivered the
opinion denying writ of error to the con-
demned Anarchists. He thereuporr went
to the home Of the Chief Justice and in
quired of him if he had received box.
The Chief Justice said be had not, and the
young man then went to the Postoffice
and ascertained that the box had been de-
livered at 6:30 o'clock.
THE STORY FOR SALE.
He next informed the correspondents of
two Western papers of the matter. and Of
fered to sell them the story about ii. The
correspondents desired to make further
investigation, and went to the police sta
ton and told the story to Detective Sergeant
Hollanberger, who Immediately called on
the Chief Justice who then acknowledged
receiving the box, and gave it to the Ser
geant. The Chief Justice said ne had re-
ceiyed the box while at dinner, and had
opened it, but without being harmed, the